First published 2011
Harry Belafonte tells the story of his extraordinary American journey in this candid memoir. Born into poverty in Harlem and Jamaica, he endured an abusive father and a withdrawn mother before serving in the Navy during World War II. After the war, he drifted through odd jobs until discovering theater, which opened his artistic and political consciousness. Though he always considered himself an actor, his musical talents launched him to worldwide fame as a singer. Belafonte refused to remain merely an entertainer. He broke racial barriers in performance venues and built popularity across both white and black audiences. His activism expanded into deep involvement with the civil rights movement, including close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr. and serving as a bridge between King and the Kennedy administration. The book chronicles his personal relationships with figures like Paul Robeson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sidney Poitier, Marlon Brando, Nelson Mandela, and Fidel Castro. Belafonte writes with unflinching honesty about both his triumphs and struggles, offering an intimate view of the entertainment world and political movements that shaped modern America. This memoir reveals how one man channeled personal hardship into artistic expression and social change.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, american, african-american, autobiography, 21st-century, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family, overcoming-adversity
Setting: Harlem, Jamaica
Period: World War II
480 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: abuse, racism